Dogs usually say hello face to face by jumping. Anytime someone enters the room, they may jump as a greeting and a way of seeking attention. While this is natural canine behaviour, it can be annoying and dangerous at times.

Some people, such as seniors and children, may get knocked over, especially if you have a big dog. Your clothes may also get soiled if your dog jumps on you with muddy paws.

With the proper dog training, you don’t have to deal with this problematic behaviour every time. You can instead train your dogs to greet people appropriately.

This article will run you through everything you need to know when training your dogs not to jump on your guests.

Why Do They Jump in the First Place?

Dogs usually repeat behaviours that earn them rewards. This reward can come in the form of your attention, yelling at them, pushing them away, or grabbing their paws. They may simply think that you are playing or wrestling with them.

If you do any of these as your dogs jump up to greet you, you reinforce this behaviour.

Teaching an Alternative Greeting Behaviour

While theoretically ignoring your dog when they jump up should alter the behaviour eventually, this can be frustrating for your dog. It is better to teach your dog appropriate greeting behaviours instead.

You can decide how you want your dog to greet people. You can let them set all their paws on the floor, take a seat, or lay down. It is essential to tell your dog what to do in this process instead of just telling them what not to do.

Training for Four on the Floor

There are dog training methods that teach your dog how to keep all their paws on the floor instead of jumping for greetings. You can do this by placing treats on the floor during greetings. Doing so prevents them from jumping as they are rewarded before even thinking about letting their paws leave the ground.

The key to this method is to be fast with the treats and anticipate your dog’s jumping. Make sure you provide the goodies before the jumping can occur. If you miss and your dog jumps up to greet the person, have the person turn and walk away as you stop feeding the dog.

Eventually, the dog will realize that staying on the floor brings attention and treats while jumping gets nothing.

Training for Sits

You can also train your dog to sit for pets and hellos. This is similar to the previous method, but your dog will have to learn that sitting on the floor will reward them, while getting up will earn them nothing.

For this greeting method, it is best to train your dog to sit to say please before starting to train for sitting as a greeting. This way, your dog will be able to sit without distractions and can sit still for greetings.

Conclusion

While it may be cute for us when a dog greets us with jumps as we get home, being unable to manage this greeting behaviour can become annoying and dangerous. Instead of simply telling your dog not to jump, you can teach them alternative greeting behaviours such as staying on the floor or sitting down.

Are you looking for dog training in Brandon, Manitoba? We at The Paw Resort & Wellness Centre will help you understand and improve your dog’s behaviours. Head on to our website to learn more!